Container with removable panel section



Sept. 21, 1965 M. T. FARQUHAR 3,207,411

CONTAINER WITH REMOVABLE PANEL SECTION Filed June 21, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 F I INVENTOR.

MELVILLE T. FARQUHAR HIS ATTORNEYS Sept. 21, 1965 T. FARQUHAR CONTAINER WITH REMOVABLE PANEL SECTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 21, 1965 I NVENTOR. MELVILLE T. FARQUHAR HIS ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,207,411 CONTAINER WITH REMOVABLE PANEL SECTION Melville T. Farquhar, Bon Air, Va., assignor to Reynolds Metals Company, Richmond, Va., a corporation of Delaware Filed June 21, 1963, Ser. No. 289,484 1 Claim. (Cl. 229--6) This invention relates to an improved container and to improved methods for making such a container or the like.

It is well known that certain Federal and State laws require certain informational media to be imprinted or otherwise displayed on containers utilized to package various articles when the containers are utilized to merchandise the articles.

For example, certain required informational media is required to be imprinted on containers packaging liquor bottles or the like.

However, it is also well known that packagers have been striving to package their articles in such a manner that the original packaging container will not only serve as means for shipping and storing the packaged article, but will also serve the purpose of providing a gift container which is attractive in design and the like and will permit the ultimate consumer to present an attractively wrapped gift to others without requiring additional wrapping of the purchased item.

Therefore, some means must be provided to fully c-onvey the informational media or the like required by law on the gift container while still permitting the same to not adversely affect the attractive gift container.

Accordingly, it is a feature of this invention to provide such a gift container or the like wherein the same will initially convey the informational media or the like which is required by law or is desired and will still be attractive in design so that the same will serve as a gift container for the above purposes.

In particular, one embodiment of this invention comprises a container which has an exterior panel means provided with a removable section carrying the required informational media or the like. In this manner, the container can be displayed in the retail store or the like With the removable panel in place so that the required informational media will be exposed. However, after the ultimate consumer purchases the package construction, the ultimate consumer can remove the removable section therefrom whereby the resulting opening in the exterior panel means of the container of this invention will be closed by an interior panel means of the container, the interior panel means carrying decorative media or the like that will be viewed through the now opened opening in the exterior panel means of the container whereby the resulting package construction will be attractive in design and will serve the purpose of a gift container.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved container having one or more of the novel features as set forth above or hereinafter shown or described.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved method for making such a container or the like.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved blank for making such a container or the like.

Other objects, uses and advantages of this invention are apparent from a reading of this description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the improved container of this invention, the container having the upper end thereof disposed in the open position.

FIGURE 2 is a View similar to FIGURE 1 and illusor 3,207,411 Ice Patented Sept. 21, 1965 trates the method of initially removing the identification panel means thereof.

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 and illustrates the improved container of this invention after the informational panel means has been removed therefrom.

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 and illustrates another embodiment of this invention.

FIGURE 5 is a plan view of an improved blank of this invention for forming the container of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary, plan view similar to FIG- URE 5 and illustrates another embodiment of the blank structure of this invention.

While the various features of this invention are hereinafter described and illustrated as being particularly adaptable for forming a container for packaging liquor bottles or the like, it is to be understood that the various feature of this invention can be utilized singly or in any combination thereof to provide containers for other articles as desired.

Therefore, this invention is not to be limited to only the embodiments illustrated in the drawings, because the drawings are merely utilized to illustrate one of the wide variety of uses of this invention.

Referring now to FIGURES 1-3, an improved container of this invention is generally indicated by. the reference numeral 10 and can be formed of any suitable material in a manner hereinafter set forth.

For example, the container 10 can be formed from the flat blank 11 illustrated in FIGURE 5 that is folded and secured together in a manner hereinafter set forth to form the substantially rectangular container 10 illustrated in FIGURE 1 having a front panel means 12, opposed side panel means 13 and 14, rearvpanel means 15 and top and bottom panel means 16 and 17, the top and bottom panel means 16 and 17 being formed from a plurality of closure flaps in a manner hereinafter set forth.

As illustrated in FIGURE 5, the blank 11 of this invention for forming the container in FIGURE 1 can be formed of cardboard and the like and can have the under surface thereof formed of decorative material, such as plain or colored metallic foil or the like whereby the exterior of the container 10 will have the decorative material thereon and the subsequently exposed portion of the interior panel means will have the decorative material thereon.

The blank 11 is suitably cut and scored from a sheet of material or the like and has the panel means 12, 14, 15 and 13 thereof respectively foldably connected together by score or fold lines 18, 19 and 20.

An interior panel means 21 is foldably connected to the right edge of the panel means 13 by a fold or score line 22, the interior panel means 21 having the under surface thereof printed or otherwise provided with decorative media 23 in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 3.

The front panel means 12 of the blank 11 has a removable section or identification panel 24 carved therefrom and initially secured thereto by integral tab-like portions 25 of the panel means 12 whereby the removable section 24 is adapted to define an opening 26, FIG- URE 3, in the front panel means 12 of the container 10 when the removable section 24 is removed therefrom in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 2, the opening 26 being closed by the interior panel means 21 and being so constructed and arranged that the same permits viewing of the decorative media 23 on the interior panel means 21 when the removable section 24 has been removed. I When the removable section 24 is initially formed in the panel means 12 of the blank 11, the opening 26 has a portion 27 of the periphery thereof disposed spaced from a free edge 28 of the removable section 24 to define access means 29 in the manner illustrated in FIG- URE 1 which permits the ultimate consumer to insert a finger behind the removable section 24 in order to grasp the same and pull the removable section 24 outwardly away from the container 10 in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 2 to rip the interconnecting tabs 25 thereof so that the movable section 24 can be completely removed from the container 10 in the manner illustrated in FIG- URE 3.

The under surface of the removable section 24 of the blank 11 is imprinted or otherwise provided with the required or desired informational media 30 in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 1 so that when the container 10 is originally formed from the blank 11 in a manner hereinafter described, the resulting container 10 will have the required or desired informational media 30 imprinted thereon so that the same can be readily viewed in retail stores or the like.

However, after the ultimate consumer purchases the container 10 of this invention, the ultimate consumer can remove the identification section or panel 24 by grasping the free edge 28 thereof and pulling outwardly and downwardly in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 2 to tear the interconnecting portions 25 of the container 11 so that the removable section 24 can be completely removed from the container 10 in the manner illustrated in FIG- URE 3.

In this manner, the resulting opening 26 provided in the front panel means 12 of the container 10 is filled by the interior panel means 21 and the decorative media 23 on the interior panel means 21 can be readily viewed through the opening 26 so that the resulting package construction 10 in FIGURE 3 is attractive in design and can serve as a gift container or the like without requiring additional gift wrapping thereof.

Therefore, it can be seen that the container 10 of this invention is not only adapted to display informational media as required by law or as desired, but also provides an attractive construction when the informational media is removed so that the same can be utilized as a gift package or the like.

The blank 11 illustrated in FIGURE has a plurality of closure flaps 31, 32 and 33 respectively foldably connected to the top edges of the panel means 12, 14 and 13 at score of fold lines 34, 35 and 36.

Similarly, a plurality of closure flaps 37, 38, 39 and 40 are respectively foldably connected to the bottom edges of the panel means 12, 14, 15 and 13 at score or fold lines 41, 42, 43 and 44.

The bottom closure flaps 37-40 are adapted to close the bottom of the container in substantially a conventional manner to provide the bottom panel means 17.

Similarly, the top closure flaps 31-33 are adapted to close the upper end of the container 10 in a conventional manner to provide the openable and closable top panel means 16 illustrated in FIGURE 2.

When it is desired to form the container 10 from the blank 11, the blank 11 is molded in such a manner that the interior panel means 21 is disposed against the inside surface of the panel means 12 whereby suitable adhesive, applied either on the inside surface of the panel means 12, the outside surface of the interior panel means 21 or both, secures the container 10 in its rectangular configuration illustrated in FIGURE 1, such adhesive preferably not securing the removable panel 24 to the interior panel means 21.

Thus, the interior panel means 21 not only serves as an interconnecting flap to secure the blank 11 in its rectangular configuration, but also the interior panel means 21 provides means for closing the resulting opening 26 in the container 10 and means for carrying the decorative media 23 to be viewed through the opening 26.

After the blank 11 has been folded into the rectangular configuration illustrated in FIGURE 10, the bottom closure flaps 37-40 can be utilized to close the bottom thereof, whereby the desired article can be packaged in the compartment 45 of the container 10 before the top closure flaps 31-33 are utilized to close the upper end of the container 10.

Therefore, it can be seen that a relatively simple and effective method is provided for making the container 10 of this invention to function in the manner previously set forth.

While one configuration of the removable identification section or panel 24 has been previously described and illustrated, it is to be understood that the particular configuration of the removable section 24 can be varied to vary the design of the resulting opening 26 formed in the container 10 without departing from the scope of this invention.

For example, another container of this invention is generally indicated by the reference numeral 46 in FIG- URE 4 and parts thereof similar to the container 10 previously described are indicated by like reference numerals followed by the reference letter A.

As illustrated in FIGURE 4, the removable section 24A in the front panel means 12A of the container 46 is in substantially the form of an hourglass or the like and has the upper concave free edge 28A thereof spaced from the portion 27A of the periphery of the opening 26A to provide access means 29A in a manner similar to the access means 29 previously described for facilitating removal of the identification panel means 24A.

Further, while the various embodiments of this invention have each been illustrated and described as having the removable identification panel carved from the particular panel means that carries the same, it is to be understood that the removable identification panel means or section of this invention can comprise a separate piece of material, if desired.

For example, reference is made to FIGURE 6 wherein another container blank of this invention is generally indicated by the reference numeral 47 and parts thereof similar to the blank 11 are indicated by like reference numerals followed by the reference letter B.

As illustrated in FIGURE 6, the front panel means 12B of the blank 47 has an opening 26B passing therethrough in substantially the same configuration as the opening 26 of the container 10 previously described.

However, when the opening 26B is formed in the panel means 128 of the blank 47, the section 24 normally carved therefrom is completely removed from the blank 47 for a purpose now to be described.

After the blank 47 has been formed in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 6, a sheet of'material 48 is secured to the inside surface of the panel means 12B in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 6 to at least partially cover the opening 268 thereof.

For example, the sheet 48 can have the upper edge 49 thereof spaced from the portion 27B of the periphery of the opening 26B to provide access means 29B for a purpose hereinafter described.

The sheet of material 48 has a removable section 50 provided therein and defined by a perforated line 51 or the like substantially corresponding to the configuration of the opening 26B.

In this manner, the sheet of material 48 can carry the informational media 30 previously described on the front surface thereof so that when the blank 47 is erected into a container similar to the container 10 the informational media carried on the sheet 48 will be viewed through the opening 26B of the resulting container.

However, the ultimate consumer can remove such informational media by merely reaching in the access means 29B to grab the free edge 49 of the detachable section 50 and tear the same from the container 10 in much the same manner as the removable section 24 is removed in FIGURE 2 so that the opening 263 in the resulting container will be free of any informational media and the same will permit the decorative media carried on the interior panel means disposed behind the front panel means 12B to be viewed through the now opened opening 26B in the same manner that the decorative media 23 of FIGURE 3 is viewed through the opened opening 26.

Therefore, it can be seen that this invention provides improved containers having means for conveying information media whereby the informational means can be removed from the container to display decorative means so that the filled container can be merchandised in compliance with law and still be utilized as an attractive gift container by the purchaser.

Further, this invention provides improved methods for making such containers or the like.

While the form of the invention now preferred has been disclosed as required by the statutes, other forms may be used, all coming within the scope of the claim which follows.

What is claimed is:

A container having an exterior panel means provided with an opening passing therethrough, said container having a sheet secured to one of the opposed surfaces of said exterior panel means to at least partially close said opening, said sheet having a removable portion that opens at least part of said opening, said container having an interior panel means disposed behind said opening to close said opening when said portion of said sheet is removed.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,150,852 8/ 15 Davidson. 1,151,,570 8/ 15 Davidson. 1,152,240 8/ 15 Todd. 1,194,172 8/ 16 Harbeck. 1,290,386 1/ 19 Smith. 1,752,504 4/30 Penrose 206- .3 1 1,891,323 12/32 Eisenberg. 2,129,980 9/ 38 Alfred 229-14 X 2,868,432 1/59 Guyer 229-51 2,877,943 3/59 Gastright 22941 3,024,958 3/ 62 Loderhose. 3,036,755 5/62 Stone 22951 FOREIGN PATENTS 934,095 10/55 Germany.

FRANKLIN T. GARRETT, Primary Examiner.

GEORGE O. RALSTON, Examiner. 

